A gentle hand
by kataangFTW
Summary: Aang disappears after Zuko and Katara started dating. Now he's back and Katara wants to find out why.  Umm,  Disclaimer: If I owned avatar life would be perfect. But I don't, so it's not.
1. Chapter 1

A gentle hand

Katara woke suddenly. She felt a warm, gentle hand resting on her back lightly, before lifting. She looked around the dark room. A cool breeze floated in through the open windows bringing with it the scent of thousands of fire lilies. She lay in her bed, thinking about her dreams and who the hand belonged to. Her eyes widened slightly as she remembered an equally warm, soft hand waking her from a troubled sleep almost three years ago.

"Aang?" she breathed, standing up to look out through the window. There was nothing out there. Why would there? She thought. Why would Aang come, after two years, today of all days? She shook her head and walked back to her bed. Zuko lay there, asleep, his scarred face peaceful and happy. She sighed and decided that, once again, she wanted to sleep in the fire lillie field. How many times Zuko had woken up and found her there she didn't know, but it helped her sleep. She got up and walked through the door and into the moonlit garden. Her feet beat the familiar path to the field and her mind began to calm down, filled with the smell of the flowers. When she got there however, someone else was already lying in the flowers. With his eyes closed, and his hands folded behind his head, Aang looked serene and calm. As if nothing was wrong. She bent down and tapped him on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and gazed at her. The hurt, anger and sadness returned to his features, and his hands clenched.

"Hey" she said, sitting down beside him.

"Hey" he replied, looking back at the stars.

"I… I havn't seen you in a while" she said. The urge to put her arms around him and take away that look of utter, utter lowliness was over powering.

"Yeah" he agreed.

"Almost two years I think" she wanted the hug him, tell him how much she had missed him while he was gone. He nodded.

"They're nice stars aren't they?" he asked, gazing up at them. She looked up at them to.

"Yeah. They are" she whispered. He looked at her.

"How've you been?" he asked, some of his old warmth returning to his voice. She shrugged, her eyes filling with tears.

"O-okay" she muttered. He smiled sadly.

"I haven't been that good" he told her. A tear rolled down her cheek. He put his hand on her cheek and slowly wiped it away.

"I missed you" he murmured. Her breath caught in her chest.

"I've missed you too" she sighed, placing a hand on his, keeping it on her cheek.

"No necklace" she looked at him, surprised.

"What necklace?" she asked. He slid his hand of her cheek.

"I thought Zuko would have given you a necklace by now" she looked at him.

"A betrothal necklace?" she breathed. He nodded.

"No" she muttered "He has asked me. Twice. But I've said no"

"Why?" he tilted her face up, so he could look at her.

"Why did you say no, Katara?"

"Because….." she stopped and took a deep breath.

"Because I don't love him" She shut her eyes.

"Does he know?" She opened her eyes.

"No. He told me that he would propose for the last time today. He said that he respected the fact that I hadn't been ready, but he said that I also needed to respect the fact that he was" Aang let out a long breath.

"Are you ready?" he said quietly. She looked at her knees.

"I don't think I will ever be ready to marry Zuko" she told him, still looking at her knees.

"Will you marry me then?" she looked up. Aang was kneeling in front of her, holding out the necklace he had woven for her all those years ago.

"Will you marry me?" he repeated. She looked into his stormy grey eyes. Eyes that she knew. Eyes that she trusted. Eyes that she loved.

"Yes" she said.


	2. Chapter 2

Katara woke up, lying next to Aang in the middle of the field. She looked down and saw that they had gone to sleep holding hands. She smiled. She sat up and realised that her new betrothal necklace was lying in between them, on the grass. Carefully, she picked it up and put it on. Beside her, Aang began to stir. She turned and smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Good morning, fiancé" she whispered. He grinned even wider.

"Good morning" he replied.

"I'd better get back to Zuko" she said, standing up and stretching. Aang stood up to.

"We haven't kissed in two years" he murmured. "I'm looking forward to it" she giggled.

"Me too"

"When I tell him we should leave. We can meet up here in about an hour" Katara said. Aang nodded. She began walking towards the palace. She met Zuko in the corridor next to their room.

"Hey" he said, his forehead creased "where've you been?" she shrugged.

"I was sleeping in the fire lillie field"

"Again?" she nodded. He sighed.

"Walk with me" he said, and began to stroll towards the courtyard. She stepped outside with him. Immediately, Zuko shot a small burst of fire towards a carving in the ground. It lit up in a heart. She looked around. Fire lillies adorned the palace steps and where placed around the courtyard. The whole of the fire nation was gathered at the steps. Watching. Waiting. She looked back to Zuko. He was on one knee, holding out a beautiful fire nation necklace.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. She stared into his eyes, and realised something. When he said it, his eyes slid away from her face to the crowd.

"No" she said. He stood up, and exasperated expression on his face.

"Katara. I thought we talked about this"

"Stop pretending" she snapped. "You're not in love with me. You're just doing this for your people" she leaned in and whispered "you have a choice to" he looked at her.

"Besides" she said, raising her voice again, "I'm already engaged to someone" and she pointed to the necklace around her neck. She could feel the whole fire nation looking at it. He raised an eyebrow.

"Aang" she said quietly. He nodded, and a small smile played across his lips. He looked uncharacteristically nervous.

"Do you think that the fire nation would accept any bride I chose" he whispered to her. She smiled.

"Of course. Still friends?" he nodded, and hugged her quickly before calling

"Mai!" The dark haired girl's bored expression turned into one of exquisite happiness.

"Could you come here?" he said. She nodded, and raced up the steps.

"Thanks" she murmured to Katara before embracing Zuko.

"Will _you _marry me?" he asked.

"Of course I will" she replied, and he placed the necklace onto her neck. Katara grinned. It had worked out. Now there was one thing left…

Aang turned to look at her as she ran to him.

"I'm ready to leave" she told him.

"Ahh" he said, "I still need to do something"

"What?" asked Katara, as he pulled her onto Appa's back.

He leaned in and kissed her.

"Oh" she breathed, before wrapping her arms around his neck.


End file.
